Bulgarian cuisine

Tzatziki ( ), also known as cacık () or tarator, is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sometimes with lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme. It is served as a cold appetiser (meze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods.

Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, Capsicum annuum. It can have varying levels of heat, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce chili powder. The milder, sweet paprika is mostly composed of the fruit of the pepper with most of the seeds removed; whereas some seeds and stalks are retained in the peppers used for hotter paprika.

Börek (also burek or byrek) is a family of pastries or pies made in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. A börek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. They are usually baked but some varieties can be fried. Börek is sometimes sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds, and it can be served hot or cold.

Ajvar is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants. The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and remains popular in Southeast Europe.

dairy product produced by souring heavy cream, popular in Eastern and Central Europe

dish of cabbage leaves with a filling

Pierogi ( ; , ) are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a filling and cooking in boiling water. They are occasionally flavored with a savory or sweet garnish. Typical fillings include potato and twaróg cheese, sauerkraut, ground meat, mushrooms, fruits, or berries. Savory pierogi are often served with a topping of sour cream, fried onions, or both.

species of plant

Ćevapi (, ), known as kebapi () in North Macedonia, is a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the countries of southeast Europe. It is considered a national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with Bosnia and Herzegovina taking steps in branding and placing them on the list of intangible heritage, with a nomination for inclusion on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ćevapi are also common in Albania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Romania.

Sujuk, sugou or sucuk (/suːˈd͡ʒʊk/) is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Anatolian, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly used in Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

cold salad found all through Southeastern Europe

Chorba, ( ; ) shorwa, shurba, shurpa, shurbah or shorba ( ) is a broad class of stews or rich soups found in national cuisines across North Africa, The Middle East, Iran, Turkey, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, East Africa and South Asia. It is often prepared with added ingredients but is also served alone as a broth or with bread.

type of food

culinary traditions of Bulgaria

Palačinka (plural Palačinke) is a thin crêpe-like variety of pancake of Greco-Roman origin. The dessert is common in the Balkans, Central-, and Eastern-Europe.

Pogača (; ; ) is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later in modern ovens. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, Levant, Turkey and Hungary; it can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging to make. It is generally made from wheat flour, but barley and sometimes rye may be added. It can be stuffed with potatoes, ground beef, olive, or cheese, and have grains and herbs like sesame, black nigella seed, or dried dill in the dough or sprinkled on top.

Taramasalata or taramosalata (; from 'fish roe' < + Greek: 'salad' < ) is a meze made from tarama, the salted and cured roe (colloquially referred to as caviar) of the cod, carp, or grey mullet (bottarga) mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, and a starchy base of bread or potatoes, or sometimes almonds. Variants may include garlic, spring onions, or peppers, or vinegar instead of lemon juice. While not traditionally Greek, smoked rather than cured cod's roe is more widely available in some places, and often used. Bottarga is usually much more expensive than cod roe.

thumb|Ghivetch Ghivetch (, , , , , / , , ) is a traditional Balkan autumn vegetable stew most closely associated with Moldova, where it is a national dish. It is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot called a güveç. It is often made only with vegetables, though some versions include meat, fish, or poultry. The Washington Post in 1985 called it "one of the world's great vegetable melanges". Mimi Sheraton called it "really the last word in vegetable stews".

thumb|Qatiq from Azerbaijan thumb|Bulgarian qatiq Qatiq is a fermented milk product from the Turkic countries. It is a more solid form of yogurt than ayran.

Lyutenitsa, ljutenica, lütenitsa or lutenica (, , , lyuto, ljuto or luto, , , , ), meaning "spicy", is a (sometimes spicy hot) vegetable relish or chutney in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Turkish cuisines.

wheat bread leavened with baking soda

work of slaughtering domestic pigs to obtain pig meat (pork)

Cozonac () or Kozunak ( ) is a sweet yeast dough that can be used to make different traditional holiday breads and cakes. Often mixed with raisins or nuts, it can be baked as a loaf or rolled out with fillings like poppy seed or walnuts. It is common throughout Southeastern Europe in countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Rich in eggs, milk and butter, it is usually prepared for Easter in Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, and in Romania and Moldova it is traditionally baked during Holy Week, typically on Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday morning. A sim

cold cut non-dairy meat jelly or terrine

Hungarian fish soup

traditional soup prepared from stinging nettles

thumb|Wedding korovai in Kyiv, 2020 thumb|A korovai and a kolach (bread)| kolach served alongside [[kvass and kefir in a Polish household]]

Pindjur or pinjur or pinđur (; ; ; ) is a red-pepper spread or relish often used in summer and autumn. Pindjur is commonly prepared in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia.

Koliva, also spelled, depending on the language, kollyva, kollyba, kolyvo, or colivă, is a dish based on boiled wheat that is used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox Church for commemorations of the dead.

Kačamak is a kind of maize porridge made in parts of Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. Its name is derived from the Turkish word , meaning 'escapade'.

Bulgarian chocolate and walnut cake of 5 thin layers with a chocolate frosting

Popara (Cyrillic: попара, , papara, ) is a dish made with bread. Typically the bread should be old, stale and have a thick crust. It is soaked in either hot tea, milk or water. Sugar, honey, butter, and cheese are often added. It is mostly made in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro.

Yakhni (, , , , ), yahni (Turkish), or yahniya (, Serbian, ), jahni (Albanian), iahnie (Romanian) is a class of dishes traditionally prepared in a vast area encompassing South Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. Generally, it is a stew of meat and vegetables.

thumb|250px|Çılbır with duck-fat sautéed Allium tricoccum|ramps Çılbır or Turkish Eggs is a Turkish dish of poached eggs with yogurt (often with garlic mixed in).

Leblebi (; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a snack made from roasted chickpeas, common and popular in Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria and sometimes seasoned with salt, hot spices, dried cloves, or candy coated.

Türlü is a Turkish casserole made of stewed vegetables that may also include stewed meat. Varieties of the dish are also found in different Balkan cuisines. In particular, it is known as turli perimesh in Albania, tourlou in Greece, and turli tava in North Macedonia.

Slatko (; ; ; meaning "sweet") is a thin fruit preserve made of fruit or rose petals in Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Serbian cuisine. Almost any kind of fruit can be used, including wild strawberry, blueberry, plum or cherry.

cooked ear of pig for human food consumption

Kyopolou (, , more often , ; ) is a popular Bulgarian and Turkish spread, relish and salad made principally from roasted eggplants and garlic.

the edible flowers of Cucurbita species

thumb|Bulgarian kebapcheta thumb|Macedonian ḱebapčinja Kebapche (, plural: кебапчета, kebapcheta; , plural: ќебапчиња, ḱebapčinja) is a dish of grilled minced meat with spices. The meat is shaped into an elongated cylindrical form, similar to a hot dog. Typically, a mix of pork and beef is used, although some recipes involve only pork. The preferred spices are black pepper, cumin and salt. Kebapche is a grilled food. It is never fried or baked.

thumb|250px|Lakerda steaks (center) at a store in Kapani (Agora Vlalì) Market, Thessaloniki.

Bundevara is a pastry of Serbian cuisine that is also known in related cuisines.

Bulgarian bean soup

Patatnik or patetnik () is a Bulgarian potato dish characteristic of the Rhodope Mountains in the country's central south. Patatnik is made of grated potatoes, onions, salt and a type of very mild mint called gyosum in Bulgarian, all mixed and cooked on a slow fire. Some restaurants add sirene (white cheese) or eggs, but this is not traditional; some people also use savory and peppers.

vladis favorire spice

Bulgarian vegetable dish

Nokul or lokul is a type of puff pastry in Turkish cuisine. It is common in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey and the Turkish-minority areas of Bulgaria with variations. Nokul is sometimes served hot as an appetizer instead of bread. It consists of a rolled sheet of yeast dough onto which feta-style white cheese, walnut or poppy seed is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions, and baked.

Zelnik is a traditional pastry eaten in Bulgaria and North Macedonia. It is composed of layers of thinly-rolled leavened wheat flour dough, or possibly phyllo pastry, filled with various combinations of sirene (a white cheese), feta cheese, eggs, sorrel, browned meat, leeks, spring onions and/or rice. In winter, the filling traditionally includes pickled cabbage, from which the dish derives its name ("cabbage" in or , in ). Bulgarian zelnik could be made also with various wild and cultivated leafy greens like collard, lettuce, orache, rumex, Chenopodium album, spearmint and many others. Zelnik

fermented vegetable preserve, popular in Romanian, Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian and Bulgarian cuisines

Bulgarian yogurt salad

buttery, flaky viennoiserie bread roll

Balkan pork and mushroom stew

thumb|Chushkopek A chushkopek (, literally: pepper-roaster) is a uniquely Bulgarian kitchen appliance for roasting peppers, aubergines or potatoes, generally used in salads.

Bulgarian open-faced baked sandwiches

dry-cured ham from the town of Elena in northern Bulgaria